


#SUMMER127: The UNCT Chronicles

by citruscake



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, Superpowers, nct ot18
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-26
Updated: 2018-06-10
Packaged: 2019-05-13 23:19:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14758187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/citruscake/pseuds/citruscake
Summary: Welcome to the city that never sleeps! At UNCT, there's plenty of hidden secrets.. Some attend the university for just one semester and they learn all of them, and some attend for years without ever catching on to a single one.This is a collection of stories from my Twitter AU, SECRETS. The stories contained here are just bits and pieces from the AU, in addition to extra one-shots I wrote for side pairings.





	1. intro to NCITY & UNCT Universe

**Author's Note:**

> hi ! glad we could meet again. if you're interested in catching up with the twitter AU - the link is below! 
> 
> https://twitter.com/_seojohnny/status/993006393425707008
> 
> each chapter will have warnings if they are necessary. you don't have to read them in order either as they all take place independent of each other :D

There are hidden powers within all of us - a 7th sense of sorts.

 

To the world, this is Ncity!

 

Welcome to the city that never sleeps! At UNCT, there's plenty of hidden secrets.. Some attend the university for just one semester and they learn all of them, and some attend for years without ever catching on to a single one.

 

This is a collection of stories from my Twitter AU, SECRETS. The stories contained here are just bits and pieces from the AU, in addition to extra one-shots I wrote for side pairings. Without further ado, I'd like to introduce the characters that have been introduced in the AU so far! P.S…. some of them have secret powers! You'll have to read the AU to find out who has what, because I'm not listing it here :D

  

CHARACTERS FOR PART 1: 

 

Johnny Seo - third year photography major, radio host of UNCT NIGHT NIGHT

Jung Jaehyun - second year english major, radio host of UNCT NIGHT NIGHT, poetry enthusiast

Kim Doyoung - second year film major, documentary enthusiast

Moon Taeil - fourth year architecture major, Johnny's roommate and best friend from high school

Nakamoto Yuta - third year graphic design major who spends way too much time at the gym

 

 

Ten - first year dance major in love with the beach

Lee Taeyong - third year graphic design major with a love for painting

Qian Kun - fourth year pastry major who has no patience

Dong Sicheng - second year dance major with a gigantic garden

Kim Jungwoo - first year vocal major whose best friend is his dog snowball

 


	2. first date (johnten)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Johnny and Ten go on their first date - and they're glowing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i apologize in advance! this chapter is unedited and i wrote it on my phone so it's a little.. strange. this is the only chapter like this though! 
> 
> xoxo pink

“thank you so much for waiting! I hope I didn’t keep you too long,” ten stuttered as he rushed down the steps of their university’s dance building.

 

 He met johnny in the parking lot, the latter who was leaning against his car, smiling and waiting patiently. “no worries. you’re cute when you’re rushing.”

 

That only made ten even more flustered, strings of words coming out of his mouth as he tried to justify his reasons for staying late at the rehearsal. He ended up tripping over his own feet, johnny catching him effortlessly.

 

“careful! Are you okay?” ten looked up at johnny, whose eyes were full of concern, and he could feel his face burning up.

 

“ah i’m sorry i’m so clumsy!! Thank you for catching me,,” ten held his face in his hands, johnny only laughing as he took ten’s bags from him and placed them in the backseat of his car.

 

“it’s fine, don’t worry.” johnny smiled reassuringly and opened the door to the passenger’s side for ten, the latter cautiously stepping in so as not to embarrass himself any further.

 

“I hope you aren’t too tired. I was gonna take us to the boardwalk over by the beach.” johnny said as he drove out of the parking lot.

 

Ten had to keep himself from glowing and nodded excitedly. “i’ve never been before!”

 

“you’re going to love it. it’s beautiful at night.”

 

———

 

Ten had spent the duration of the trip staring out the window in awe of the Ncity nightlife, asking questions about every landmark. Johnny just laughed softly at him.

 

“you’re not from here, are you ten?” he asked, looking fondly at the dancer whose eyes wouldn’t leave the window.

 

“yeah, this is my first year.. i’ve never really had a chance to explore the city at night since i’ve constantly been busy practicing my dance. Was it obvious?” ten’s eyes flickered down to his fingertips to make sure he wasn’t glowing. Phew. So far so good.

 

“I kind of had a hunch. With that in mind though, you’re going to love where we’re going.”

 

Ten looked back up to the window just as the beach appeared on the horizon, but a different part. A glowing ferris wheel and roller coaster also appeared, and ten was starting to get really excited. He shoved his hands under his thighs just in case.

 

“there’s an amusement park here?!”

 

“yeah, that’s the ncity boardwalk. I figured you’d be hungry first, right?” johnny asked, pulling into the parking lot of a restaurant across the street from the beach. Ten nodded his head excitedly.

 

“i’m starving! Where to?”

 

Johnny opened the door for him and offered a hand to help ten get out of the car. “this was the first restaurant my roommates took me to when I started going to UNCT.”

 

\----

 

 

The two had finished their pizza, Ten thanking Johnny graciously for the meal, and were now chatting until the sun set all the way so they could truly enjoy the NCITY boardwalk nightlife.

 

"So," Ten asked, playing with the straw of his drink, "tell me about yourself!"

 

Johnny met his gaze and smiled, causing the latter to look down at said straw. "That should be my line.. Well, I'm in my third year at UNCT, studying photography. I'm also one of the hosts of UNCT NIGHT NIGHT, alongside my best friend Jaehyun."

 

"Oh I know Jaehyun! Taeyongie always talks about how electric he is." Ten smiled down at his drink, remembering when he witnessed Jaehyun's powers for the first time.

 

Johnny just smiled slightly, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. The two looked out the window, just as darkness fully absorbed the sky.

 

"Beautiful view, isn’t it?" Johnny said, eyes fond as he examined the ocean view. "I remember when I came here during my first semester, with my roommate Taeil hyung, and we watched the sun set just like this. He kept talking about the moon that night but .. I still don't know why."

 

Ten watched Johnny as he stared out the window, in awe of the photographer's beauty. Everything about him screamed pure genuity; he was dressed in a black v-neck and a blue zip-up hoodie, and his hair was slightly messy. The camera that hung around his neck seemed old and worn out, and Ten couldn't stop himself from growing more fond of him.

 

"Y'know, I was talking about the view outside the window." Ten snapped out of his daydreaming to find Johnny grinning directly at him, and his cheeks burned red with embarrassment.

 

"Well.. you see.. i.."

 

———

 

“ I didn’t know you were so talented at carnival games, Ten,” Johnny remarked as the attendant gave Ten a giant stuffed animal.

 

“ back when I lived in Thailand, my friends and I used to go to the carnival every weekend play the games.” ten replied, holding the stuffed animal close to him. Johnny couldn’t help but feel soft for the boy.

 

The two walked around the boardwalk, admiring the scenery around them. Ten stopped in front of the ferris wheel, his head tilting almost halfway as he stared up at the neon lights. Johnny took this opportunity to snap a picture of him.

 

-click!-

 

 

 

Startled, Ten quickly looked down at his fingers, which were faintly glowing. He shoved his hands into his armpits, feigning cold. He looked over to johnny, whose fond expression had switched to one of concern.

 

“Are you cold? Here, take my jacket.” Johnny took off his jacket and drifted around Ten’s shoulders. 10 smiled and bowed his head, thanking the photographer.

 

“ i’ve never been on a Ferris wheel before,” 10 remarked, gaze returning back to the neon lights. Johnny rested a hand on his upper back.

 

“ shall we?“

 

———

 

Ten couldn’t stop staring outside of the ferris wheel, at all of NCITY below him. With every passing second, Johnny was growing more and more fond of the childlike boy in front of him.

 

“Y’know,” Ten started, eyes never leaving the cityscape, “I haven't enjoyed myself like this in a very long time. Its been at least three years since I loved to NCITY, but this is the first time i’ve actually gone out since graduating high school and starting uni. So… thank you, Johnny.”

 

Now it was the photographers turn to blush. He covered his mouth slightly and nodded. “I want to thank you as well, Ten. it’s been a long time since I last went on a date with anyone. Im so grateful that you replied when I texted you.”

 

Ten’s eyes finally left the cityscape and locked in on Johnny. The two were smiling at each other so genuinely, Ten peeking out from behind his stuffed animal. Johnny took one of Ten’s hands in his own and brought it to his lips, kissing it gently.

 

“I mean every word i’ve said tonight ten. With that in mind, do you want to go on another date after exam week?” the photographer asked, gently rubbing his thumb over ten’s hand before letting go.

 

Ten’s eyes widened in surprise, his face growing more red and his fingers glowing more brightly. “I’d love to, Johnny. I really want to explore the rest of the city with you!”

 

 

 

“I’m so happy you said yes.” Johnny leaned back, letting out a huge sigh of relief. His eyes looked down at Ten’s hand. “I think your phone is going off.. Wow, the screen is so bright! How does it not hurt your eyes?”

 

Ten looked down at his hands in shock. Thank the gods Johnny had shitty vision in the dark. “ah, it must be Taeyong wondering where we are. i’ll text him later!” he hid his hands in johnny’s jacket, pretending to turn off his phone.

 

The two exited the ferris wheel glowing (both figuratively and literally) from excitement, and chatting idly about where they could visit next. In ten’s mind, however, he was panicking.

 

Johnny dropped Ten off at his apartment, where Taeyong was waiting outside of the building. Ten was about to return Johnny’s jacket, but before he could take it off, the latter stopped him.

 

“Keep it. To remind you of our first date.” Johnny grinned at the boy, who looked away and giggled.

 

“Good night, Johnny. Text me when you get home!”

 

“Good night, Ten. Will do!”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wonder who has the secret powers in this ship... ;D


	3. the recital (johnten, yuwin, jaeyong)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's final exam week, and Johnny attends his first ever recital at UNCT to support Ten.. and gets a lot more than he bargained for. (feat. side YuWin & established Jaeyong)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> characters in this chapter: johnny, ten, taeyong, jaehyun, doyoung, winwin, yuta, jungwoo

 

 

 

Johnny's eyes wandered around the theater, taking in its details. Despite being part of UNCT's college of fine arts, Johnny had never once stepped in the performing arts buildings, let alone any of the various theaters on campus. He clutched the bouquet in his hand, feeling a little anxious being in a new environment.

 

He felt a hand grab his other arm, and he looked down to see Yuta grinning back at him.

 

"Aren't you excited?! We get to see Winwin perform!!" the designer exclaimed, bouncing in his seat excitedly. Johnny just turned to Jaehyun and Taeyong for answers, who were seated next to him and shook their heads in response.

 

"Can you please explain how you know Winwin?" Taeyong asked, confusion painting his face. "I thought we were here to support Ten and Jungwoo as well.."

 

Yuta suddenly turned shy, head facing the ground as he smiled. "Well.. I saw him tending to a garden while I was walking home from class, and.. He was legit beautiful. All of the plants were turned towards him and they were all blooming.. I couldn't stop thinking about him for the rest of the day then I found out he was in one of my classes! So now I'm trying to be friends with him but he's a little shy.."

 

Johnny snorted. "He's in love."

 

"Yeah, I am.. I finally met someone who can heal me more than I can heal myself.. Now I just need to get him to fall in love with me." Yuta covered his face in embarrassment, trying to hide his toothy smile.

 

Jaehyun didn't even have to look at Johnny to know he was confused. "You'll get it eventually."

 

\-----------

 

The lights in the theater dimmed, signaling the beginning of the night's performance. Johnny held his breath as a single spotlight shone on the stage, revealing…

 

Doyoung.

 

Wait, what?

 

"Good evening everyone, and welcome to UNCT's College of Fine Arts' semi-annual recital! I'm your host for the night, Kim Doyoung, and boy do we have quite the lineup for you tonight!" Doyoung announced into the mic, immediately commanding the attention of every person in the room.

 

The crowd roared with applause, eagerly anticipating the show. As if Johnny wasn't already confused enough already.

 

"First up, we have our first-year dance students. For the song, please welcome our star first-year vocalist, Kim Jungwoo, to the stage, performing the song 'Timeless!'"

 

The crowd applauded again as the spotlight dimmed on Doyoung, Johnny quickly snapping out of it and clapping as well as he saw Taeyong and Jaehyun cheering. The curtains behind him opened to reveal a beautiful stage replica of Central Park, no doubt built by UNCT's entertainment engineering students.

 

A fake moon hung from the ceiling, faintly glowing to life as several first year dance students began their choreography. Jungwoo sat on a stool towards the right side of the stage, his vocals shaking the audience. Johnny looked over to his friends and saw they're all just as shook. To his left, Taeyong was smiling so widely, tears were escaping his eyes; Jaehyun, holding Taeyong's hand tightly as he smiled; to his right, Yuta looked completely starstruck, hands covering his mouth. Johnny thought to himself that he should make more friends in performing arts.

 

The performance ended with the dancers laying on the ground, and Jungwoo gazing at the ground, smiling faintly. The crowd erupted into applause, many throwing roses towards the students and Jungwoo. Taeyong and Jaehyun cheered loudly for the vocalist, With Johnny and Yuta applauding enthusiastically.

 

Two more performances passed before Doyoung announced Winwin's performance; a traditional Chinese dance. Johnny jumped as he heard Yuta absolutely losing his mind next to him, and the three friends looked over to see Yuta bouncing up and down with.. A lightstick.

 

"FUCK IT UP, BABE!" He yelled, alerting some of the audience members around the group. One mother shot him a dirty look and covered her child's ears.

 

Winwin began his performance bathed in red light, with movements smooth and graceful. As the music grew more intense, Winwin's movements became sharper, the lights slowly changing to a bright gold. Johnny looked over to Yuta, whose eyes were literally sparkling in awe. The photographer couldn't help but feel fond for his friends and their friends.

 

Before they knew it, Winwin's performance was also over, with Yuta screaming his lungs out in excitement. Johnny had never seen the designer so exhilarated gave him energy as well, and then he stood up and started cheering loudly as well. From the stage, Winwin saw Yuta's waving lightstick and he smiled widely, as if he knew Yuta was the only one dumb enough to bring a lightstick to a recital.

 

"THAT'S MY MAN!!!" Yuta yelled again, waving his lightstick in hearts. Johnny wasn't sure if the designer was completely head over heels for Winwin, but then again, he had never seen any of his friends this excited about someone else. Jaehyun was deeply in love with Taeyong, as they had been together since their freshman year, but they showed their love in much quieter ways.

 

After a couple more performances, Doyoung announced a ten-minute intermission for the audience. The four friends stood up from their seats and went outside to stretch, the warm spring air caressing their faces.

 

\------------

 

Johnny would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't a little anxious right now.

 

Having only met Ten a couple of weeks before, Johnny didn't know the full extent of just how talented the dancer was. The two hadn't talked in detail about their passions, with Johnny's love for photography only coming up as he would take pictures of Ten.

 

Now seated back in their row, the four boys waited in anticipation for Ten's performance to begin. Johnny looked over to Jaehyun, who nodded at him reassuringly.

 

"Prepare to be blown away, Johnny," Taeyong sang, giving a single clap of excitement.

 

Suddenly, the theater turned pitch black, causing immediate silence among the audience. All eyes turned toward the stage as a glowing figure began to move in time with the sharp beats of the electronic song playing.

 

And then it clicked.

 

The glowing figure from that night on the beach?

 

It was Ten.

 

\--------

 

After the recital, Johnny was the first one out of his seat, dragging Yuta up as well. "Come on, we have to go backstage." he said urgently, pulling the designer along with him as he followed his instincts. "COME ON, JAEHYUN! TAEYONG! LET'S GO!"

 

As soon as the boys made it backstage, Yuta was gone, wildly shouting "WINKO! WINKO WHERE ARE YOU?!" as he waved his lightstick in the air. Johnny quickly looked around the area, looking for that glowing figure he so desperately wanted to call his.

 

Almost as if by the will of the gods, he locked eyes with Ten after ten seconds. Johnny rushed towards the dancer and swooped him off of his feet, tossing the bouquet into his lap and earning a shocked squeak in response.

 

"Ten.. You're amazing. I can't believe it. I can't believe you're the glowing figure I saw that night on the beach." he said, face buried in Ten's hair.

 

The dancer's eyes widened in shock. "The w-what?" he managed to choke out. He saw Jaehyun and Taeyong behind the two, locking eyes with the latter in panic.

 

"I have never seen a better use for those finger tutting gloves before today. Ten. I mean it. You're amazing." Johnny put the dancer down, hands gripping Ten's shoulders excitedly, making eye contact. Ten broke it briefly to glance at Taeyong again, who pointed at his hands.

 

Ah, great. He was glowing again. At least Johnny didn't realize he was using his actual light powers during the performance.

 

"I-I'm glad you liked the performance," Ten managed to stutter out, still flustered from the affection. "Thank you for coming.. It means a lot to me."

 

"I know this is kind of sudden, but after tonight, I feel like I could do anything for you, Ten." The passion in Johnny's eyes was unwavering, causing another unwarranted squawk from the dancer.

 

"Slow down, lover boy. How about we go have dinner? I'm sure our favorite performers here are pretty hungry." Jaehyun said, pulling the photographer out of his moment.

 

He looked down to Ten, who smiled shyly up at him and nodded.

 

"GUYS! I FOUND WINKO!" Yuta yelled, suddenly reappearing with Sicheng. The dancer had a small smile on his face, as if he was trying to hide the fact that he liked being called Winko.

 

"Nice to meet you, Winko," Johnny smiled at Sicheng, who waved back at him. "Let's go get hotpot!"

 

\-----

 

The group had been at the hotpot restaurant for almost an hour now, yet Ten still hadn't taken off his gloves. Johnny looked over to the dancer with concern, who was chatting peacefully with Sicheng about their summer plans. Johnny noticed how he blushed and got quieter after mentioning that they had made plans together, and smiled softly.

 

"Hey, Ten, how come you're still wearing your gloves?" Yuta asked from his seat next to Sicheng, completely oblivious to the deer-in-headlights look Ten was now wearing. Johnny's concern for the dancer only grew.

 

"Um.. I burned my hands while I was trying to cook the other day," Ten stammered out, rubbing his wrists gently. Noticing Ten’s visible discomfort, Yuta just nodded and went back to listening to the other boys talk.

 

"Did he actually burn himself, Jae?" Johnny whispered to his best friend. The writer nodded in response, taking a sip from his tea. Johnny didn't believe him, but since he wasn't officially dating Ten yet, he wasn't really in a place to ask about the dancer's personal business.

 

Whatever the case, it seemed Ten had recovered from the initial shock of Johnny seeing him on the beach that night, as he had returned to being friendlier to the photographer. The group had spent the night swapping stories of how Taeyong, Sicheng, and Ten had become friends, how they had met their friends Jungwoo and Kun, and how Johnny, Jaehyun, and Yuta had become friends as well, and met their friends Taeil and Doyoung. All who were not present at the meal had flights to their home towns in the morning, save Taeil, who had an early morning shift.

 

Eventually, Johnny and Ten had started their own conversation to the side of the group, giggling at each other as they continued to make plans for their summer. While Ten's hometown was in Thailand, he had decided to stay in NCITY for the summer in order to make some money and get to know the city better. Johnny felt honored that he would be able to show Ten around, but he didn't voice it in case Yuta would make fun of him.

 

"Ow! Hey, what the hell was that for?!" the two snapped out of their conversation as Yuta hissed at Jaehyun.

 

"Don’t touch the meat yet, It’s not ready. And relax, you’re gonna heal immediately anyway." Jaehyun had ignored the designer's pouts and continued cooking the beef in peace.

 

"… Ah, you're right." Yuta was staring at his hand, where the burn mark faded away in less than five seconds. Johnny watched Yuta from across the table in confusion, not seeing what the designer saw at all.

 

\---

 

Since Taeyong and Ten went home together, Johnny drove home with Jaehyun. For the entire right, the photographer could not shut up about how enamored he was with Ten, how he wanted to memorize every little detail of the dancer, etc.

 

"Jae-D… I think I might be in love."

 

Jaehyun spit out his water. "Really?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"Did you notice yet??"

 

Johnny glanced over to Jaehyun in confusion. "What??"

 

Jaehyun snorted. "You never cease to amaze me, Johnathan."

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my, more powers hinted at here ~ unfortunately you'll have to read the AU on twitter to find out whose powers have been confirmed! d:


	4. electric kiss (jaeyong)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taeyong is needy. 
> 
> (slightly nsfw - warnings explained in the notes before the chapter)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi. so uhh this is to commemorate 6,000 engagements on the AU over on twitter! it's my first suggestive oneshot i've ever written, and also my first time writing in present tense, so i apologize in advance if it's not what you were expecting. 
> 
> so here's your warnings: taeyong is pretty kinky. that includes pet names, collars, and dom/sub dynamics. jaehyun is also kinky. and well, his includes dom/sub dynamics and.. his secret power.
> 
> characters

It's been a long, _long_ day without Jaehyun, and Taeyong is tired.

 

No, scratch that. Taeyong is _attention deprived._ And tired.

 

He's spent the entire day texting Jaehyun, who, unfortunately, has been busy taking care of end-of-the-semester errands for UNCT Night Night. Taeyong knows that Jaehyun isn't ignoring him on purpose, but that still doesn't change the fact that he misses his boyfriend. And it's not like he can hang out with Ten, either; the dancer has been out spending the day with Johnny.

 

Taeyong pouts. When are those two morons going to start dating??

 

Suddenly, his phone goes off. He picks it up, and an evil plan blooms in his mind.

 

_We're meeting Johnny and Ten for sushi at 7pm. I'm gonna pick you up around 6:30, okay?_

 

He looks up at the clock: 5:52pm. He has exactly 38 minutes to make himself so irresistible that Jaehyun will _have_ to pay attention to him. Taeyong has a few ideas on what kind of attention he wants, but he can't exactly post about it on Twitter, especially since he's established a family friendly space.

 

But hey, what can he say? A guy has needs.

 

Taeyong jumps up from his spot on his bed and hops in the shower, humming and rapping to his favorite songs. He can't wipe the dumb grin off of his face when he thinks about how much he's going to frustrate Jaehyun.

 

He styles his hair in a soft, fluffy way, shoving a few bobby pins to keep most of his bangs out of his face. His outfit matches his freshly dyed pink hair (for summer, obviously): a white oversized crewneck and some faded ripped jeans, but the real kicker is his choice of accessories.

 

Taeyong stares into his jewelry box, examining every choker he owns. His fingers stop on the red collar, and he immediately grins devilishly. A quick glance at the clock and it's already 6:30. Oh, he is _definitely_ getting some tonight.

 

He hears the door open and close, and hears a voice. "Tae? Where are you?"

 

"Riiiight here ~!" He peeks his head out from his bedroom and smiles at his boyfriend, a hint of mischief in his eyes.

 

Jaehyun catches that hint of mischief and is immediately suspicious. "Taeyong…" he starts, but is immediately cut off when Taeyong pounces, effectively pushing the writer backwards.

 

"Don't ignore me all dayyy, Jaehyunnie…. I got so needy without you…" Taeyong continues to move forward, attempting to back Jaehyun into a corner. The writer's eyes catch the collar and they darken immediately.

 

"Nope. Nope. Taeyong I swear to the gods you are _not_ wearing a _collar_ to a sushi restaurant, especially not on a _group date!"_ Jaehyun moves to take off the collar, but Taeyong backs up and pouts.

 

"But kitties eat fish, don't they..?" the designer sticks out his bottom lip, maximizing his cuteness as much as possible.

 

Jaehyun isn't buying it. He pinches his nose in frustration and lets out a loud exhale. "… Fine. How about you wear the bracelet version instead? Is that good enough?"

 

Taeyong smiles and takes off the collar, pattering back into his room to switch it out. "Baby likes it!"

 

As they're about to lock up and leave, Jaehyun notices that Taeyong still has mischief in his eyes. He decides to bite this in the bud, and grabs Taeyong's wrist roughly and backs him up against the door.

 

"Baby better behave tonight. Understood?"

 

No response from Taeyong, just a wider grin. Jaehyun gets up in his face and points directly at his nose, delivering a light shock.

 

Taeyong immediately stills.

 

"If you think something is going to happen right now, you're dead wrong. C'mon, we're going to be late to the restaurant again."

 

Jaehyun is satisfied.

 

\-----

 

The drive to Ncity's local sushi restaurant is eerily quiet, with Taeyong opting to stare directly at Jaehyun the entire time he drove. Jaehyun glances over quickly, and he sees Taeyong is fidgety.

 

"What's wrong?"

 

"Baby wants attention." Jaehyun can hear the pouting in his boyfriend's voice. He rolls his neck and holds out his hand for Taeyong.

 

Taeyong grasps his hand tightly and grins. He starts to massage Jaehyun's hand in the most provoking way he can. "Can baby have more attention? Pretty please?"

 

Jaehyun jerks his hand away immediately. "Maybe if baby lets me drive I can give him proper attention." He jolts when Taeyong pokes him in the side.

 

"Pleeeeease?"

 

"Try me."

 

Taeyong tries to poke him again, but Jaehyun grabs his hand immediately and sends an electric shock through his body. The designer's eyes glaze over and he goes silent.

 

Unluckily for Taeyong, they were stopped at an intersection, so Jaehyun saw the whole thing.

 

The writer squints. "You like that, don't you?"

 

Silence.

 

"Use your words, please."

 

"Maybe…"

 

Jaehyun is silent for the rest of the drive to the sushi restaurant, and Taeyong fears he might have made a very, very big mistake.

 

\-------

 

It would take the mental capacity of a rock to not see how Johnny and Ten were very, very much in love with each other. Jaehyun sees it in his best friend's eyes, just how enamored he is with the kid, and he sees how Ten is equally enamored with him.

 

But, in case anyone forgot, Johnny has the mental capacity of a rock when it comes to reading between the lines. However, it seems the two of them don't feel the need to put a label on.. whatever their relationship is just yet, so Jaehyun decides he won't say anything.

 

Jaehyun is drinking a hot green tea, watching Taeyong and Ten excitedly talk about their day. Ten seems to have an endless amount of stories from his adventures with Johnny, with the latest one seeming to be stargazing on the beach. Jaehyun wonders if Johnny's caught on that Ten has secret powers yet.

 

Jaehyun feels a slight kick under the table, and his eyes narrow and meet with Taeyong's. The designer smiles at him and takes a bite of his sushi. Jaehyun refuses to give him what he wants.

 

He turns to Johnny, who starts to tell him about the concept behind his latest #JOHNTOGRAPHY photoset, and he's fully immersed until he feels another kick. He ignores it this time, reminding himself not to give in, and he starts to give Johnny feedback about the concept.

 

Another kick.

 

He's _really_ asking for it, isn't he?

 

Jaehyun slips his hand under the table and rests his hand on Taeyong's thigh. The designer immediately freezes, now making an effort to not appear bothered by the new presence.

 

Success.

 

Jaehyun takes a sip of his tea.

 

The rest of the sushi arrives and the four eat their meal in peace, Jaehyun's hand never leaving Taeyong's thigh, just _daring_ him to act up again. It seems to do the trick, up until they all order their desserts. Jaehyun opts for a mini strawberry tart, while Johnny gets cheesecake, and the remaining two choose to share  a green tea ice cream.

 

As the sugar from the ice cream starts to kick in, Taeyong starts to get a little more fussy, and he's immediately become a chatterbox. The four are exchanging funny stories from their first semester at UNCT, and then Jaehyun feels a tiny kick on his leg.

 

_Oh, he's in for it now._

 

Jaehyun sends a shock through Taeyong again, and then removes his hand from the designer's thigh. He uses that same hand to pick up his cup of tea and take a sip, glaring at Taeyong from over the rim of the glass. The designer seems to be obedient again, calmly (if you could ignore his rapid leg bouncing).

 

Johnny asks Jaehyun if he and Taeyong would like to join them for boba after they leave the restaurant, but Jaehyun politely declines, making the excuse that he has work in the morning. The group say their goodbyes, Taeyong hugging Ten and then locking arms with Jaehyun as they walk back to their car.

 

Jaehyun has a death grip on Taeyong's arm - not too tight, but definitely not soft. Taeyong has to bite back a smile because he knows what's coming next.

 

\-----

 

"Someone has been a _very_ bad boy today, huh?" Jaehyun growls, slamming Taeyong against the door as soon as they get in the apartment. Taeyong's heart starts racing in excitement.

 

"Not my fault man.. You know how I get when I need attention," Taeyong's shrugging him off, and that only pisses Jaehyun off even more.

 

"You think I didn't know you were trying to tease me the entire time we were out today?" Jaehyun's voice dropped a whole octave, and the grip he had on Taeyong's arm was so deliciously tight. The designer bit back an excited whimper.

 

Jaehyun presses the designer up against the door, meeting Taeyong's lips with a powerful electric shock, enough to send energy pulsing all throughout Taeyong's body and make him jolt in excitement.

 

"Well," he says, tracing Taeyong's jawline, sparks flying through his fingertips, "I guess it's time for me to make up for leaving my baby attention deprived all day. Is that what baby wants?"

 

Taeyong's eyes go wide at the electricity, all the energy being sent straight down. He lets out a tiny yes, struggling to maintain eye contact with the writer's lust-filled gaze.

 

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear that. Let me ask again. Is. That. What. Baby. Wants?" he enunciates every word, making Taeyong want to melt into a puddle immediately.

 

"Y-Yes," Taeyong manages to squeak out, eyes shut in anticipation.

 

Jaehyun lets go of Taeyong, satisfied.

 

"Good. Bed. Now."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA YOU THOUGHT I WAS GONNA WRITE SMUT DIDN'TCHA?
> 
> as if i wasn't flustered enough writing this entire chapter sldfjsf 
> 
> anyway!  
> thank you for 6k engagements on twitter! hope you're enjoying, and if you found this fic through ao3, i hope i hooked your curiosity on the au ;D it's johnten centric but there's something for everyone in it~
> 
> see you next time !


	5. the library

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Johnny is suspicious about this whole 'secret powers' thing after Taeil sparks his interest, so he drags Mark to the library so they can do some research.
> 
> characters featured: Johnny, Mark, Haechan, Taeyong, Jaehyun, Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i highly recommend catching up with the twitter au before reading this chapter. come find me at @_seojohnny if you'd like to read it :)
> 
> this is the longest chapter so far! definitely wasn't anticipating it being this long. huhu!

Johnny can see Mark talking to some boy in the picture book section of the library, and while he's definitely a little suspicious, he can't forget his original goal in coming to the library. He scans the books in front of him, and seeing nothing about "twelve legends," he gets frustrated and walks up to his younger brother.

 

"Any luck?" Johnny asks, suddenly appearing behind Mark and making his brother shriek (but it was at half volume, because, well.. it's a library.)

 

"I… I found nothing, so I asked my friend Donghyuck to come over and help us. Hyuck, this is my older brother Johnny. Hyung, this is Hyuck." he gestures to each boy to introduce them. Johnny waves at Donghyuck, offering a sincere smile.

 

"Nice to meet you!" Donghyuck almost sings, winking at the photographer and striking a pose. Johnny can't help but feel a little uncomfortable. "I work here so I can show you exactly what you're looking for."

 

Johnny tilts his head in confusion. "Wait, really? You live here in NCITY as well? How come I've never seen you before?"

 

"I'm a year younger than Mark! So I'm still in NCITY HS." Donghyuck gestures for the brothers to follow him to the history section of the library. Johnny trails behind, watching closely how his brother interacts with this kid. He can't help but think Mark might have a tiny crush.

 

Donghyuck leads them to the furthest corner of the history section, dusting off a shelf labeled NCITY URBAN LEGENDS. "These are the books you're looking for. Hopefully you'll find the answers you need!" he whisper-exclaims. Johnny is still unsettled by the boy's cheery personality, but he doesn't show it.

 

"Thanks Hyuck, you're the best!" Mark throws an arm around Donghyuck's shoulder enthusiastically. "Say.. Do you believe that there's people in our world who have powers?"

 

"What, you mean like this?" Donghyuck snaps his fingers and.. nothing happens. Johnny squints and faces the shelf entirely, fingers tracing over the titles of each book. Behind his back, Donghyuck snaps again and.. there's a tiny flame coming out of his index finger, casting a gentle glow between the two boys.

 

Mark covers his mouth and absolutely loses his shit. "Hyung!! Hyung!! You have to see what Hyuck just did!!"

 

Johnny peers over his shoulder, sees Donghyuck snap his fingers again with no success, and just shakes his head. Embarrassed, Donghyuck makes an excuse that he has to get back to work and quickly disappears.

 

"Mark..  This Hyuck kid is kind of weird."

 

"Hyung, he's not weird, I swear. He was one of my best friends at NCITY HS! He was part of DREAM!"

 

"…Right.. Anyway, thanks for pointing me in the right direction. You can go look at other books if you're interested now. I'm fine doing this research by myself.." Johnny replies, eyebrows furrowed and focused completely on the titles in front of him.

 

"So… you want to make slime?"

 

"What? What are you even going to do with slime?"

 

"… Uhh.. Play with it?"

 

"For what, ten minutes? Just buy one from the store, it'll cost less money."

 

Mark pouts at his brother and shoves a hand into his side and is rewarded with a parrot-like squawk from Johnny. "You're such a Debbie Downer, I swear. I'll just ask Taeil hyung if he wants to make slime!!"

 

Johnny squints again as his brother scampers off towards the comic books. His gaze returns to the books in front of him, suspicious since they're in an Urban Legends category. Suddenly, one title catches his eyes. He pulls the book from its spot on the shelf and plants himself on the floor in front of it, cracking it open and beginning to read.

 

**_The 7th Sense_ **

 

_It is said that there are some people in this world who were born with a 7th sense, allowing them to use secret powers that many of us can only dream of ever having._

 

_These powers range from reality manipulation to elemental conjuration, and can be traced back as far as one million years ago, when our planet was first created._

 

_Our planet was created by twelve legends from EXO Planet, tasked with creating a place for the tree of life to thrive. However, the red force sought after the tree of life day after day, destroying planet after planet in order to find the tree of life._

 

_The twelve legends could see that the red force would abuse the heart of the tree of life. Unable to fight the red force, and seeing it as the only option to protect EXO Planet, the legends hereby divide the heart into twelve, and hide each piece._

 

_Hence, time is overturned, and the never-ending war between the legends and the red force begins._

 

_To this day, the legends live on through their descendants, who were born with this 7th sense. Although the war has long since taken on a new form, through politics and world affairs, so long as the  pieces of the heart of the tree of life stay hidden, there will be a constant struggle for power._

 

\---

 

Johnny doesn't believe a word he's reading. All this 'red force' and 'EXO Planet' bullshit seems kind of strange until he turns the page.

 

\---

 

**_The Twelve Legends, and Their Rumored Locations for the Heart_ **

 

**_THE ELEMENTAL LEGENDS._ **

_SUHO, legend of water. His piece lies at the bottom of the oceans._

 

_CHANYEOL, legend of fire. His piece lies at the heart of a volcano, deep in  lava._

 

_SEHUN, legend of wind. His constant dust storms blow his piece all over the world, never settling down._

 

_XIUMIN, legend of frost. His piece is said to be fully encapsulated in ice, in the coldest parts of the world._

 

_CHEN, legend of electricity. Thunderstorms are said to occur only when he and the legends are fighting the red force._

 

_BAEKHYUN, legend of light. The sun and moon are said to work in harmony to hide his piece._

 

**_THE REALITY-MANIPULATION LEGENDS._ **

 

_KAI, legend of teleportation. Forever stuck in motion, his piece of the heart is constantly moving._

 

_KRIS, legend of flight. His piece lay high above the clouds, constantly moving as if it had a mind of its own._

 

_LUHAN, legend of telekinesis. His piece has never been researched._

 

_TAO, legend of time. His piece has been captured in photos and paintings throughout time._

 

_LAY, legend of healing. His piece has never been researched._

 

_D.O., legend of force. Earthquakes occur whenever he fights the red force._

 

\-----

 

Johnny finishes the book with even more questions than he had anticipated. These twelve legends.. They have names? They get reborn??

Did Taeil really communicate with the moon?!

 

He checks his phone again to see if Taeil has responded, but unsurprisingly enough, there are no notifications.

 

Mark returns with a few comic books about the Avengers, an excited childlike grin on his face.

"Are we ready to go?" he asks his brother, ignoring the visible frustration on Johnny's face.

 

Johnny looks down at the book he's holding, still trying to process the information he's just read.

 

"… Yeah. Let's go get lunch.”

 

\----

 

"So… You're telling me.. That there are people in this world who are descendants of these 'twelve legends,' and they have secret powers." Jaehyun is squinting at Johnny over his green tea.

 

Johnny claps once. "Yes. Apparently this planet was created by the twelve legends from EXO planet."

 

"EXO? Like the boy group?" Taeyong asks thoughtfully.

 

"What boy group? The Korean one? But there's only 8 members right now, isn't there?" Mark asks, eyes focused on his comic books. Taeyong shoots a glare his way, obviously hurt.

 

"Excuse you, there's _nine_ members!"

 

Johnny pinches his nose in irritation. "We're getting distracted here. Anyway. Do either of you have powers?"

 

Jaehyun and Taeyong immediately freeze. Johnny's suspicion levels are off the charts. Mark peeks up from his comic books as soon as he notices the tension.

 

Jaehyun regains his composure and takes a sip of his tea. "No Johnathan, we don't have powers."

 

"Then explain the lightning emoji from earlier." Johnny's leaning over the table and he's almost face to face with the writer. Jaehyun pokes his forehead and pushes him back into his seat.

 

"I can't explain that right now since there's children around." Johnny's eyes widen at the response and he covers his mouth.

 

"……… Forget I asked."

 

\---------

 

Ten was beginning to panic. And somehow, that's how he ends up at the local fishing dock, staring off into the ocean and glowing faintly. That's also how Taeyong appears behind him, hands on his knees and breathing heavily to catch his breath after the chase.

 

"Ten. It's okay. You can trust Johnny, he's the nicest dude we all know." Taeyong speaks to the dancer's back. Ten refuses to turn around, anxiety flowing through his veins.

 

"Hyung, you don't understand.. People who have found out about my powers.. Almost every single time, they've started treating me differently.. Like, the bad kind of differently.." Ten brings one of his hands towards his face, examining his glowing fingers.

 

Taeyong sits down on the fishing dock, swinging his legs over the edge. Ten joins him, still refusing to make eye contact. It's two days to the full moon, so the ocean is pretty well lit, and the cool breeze is refreshing for both of them.

 

"I didn't start treating you differently, did I? Neither did Kun, Sicheng, or Jungwoo. Or Jaehyun. I mean, they all have powers too, don't they?"

 

Ten sighs, signaling he's about to reveal something deep.

 

"I never explained to you why I'm studying here in NCITY, and not in Thailand, did I?"

 

\---

 

_Ten's covering his ears, tears falling down his face. Outside of his bedroom he can hear his parents screaming at each other, glass shattering and doors slamming. This wasn't the first night his parents got into a fight. And it wouldn't be the last night, either. Ten knew once again they were fighting about their son's powers._

 

_For the first seventeen years of his life, his powers were dormant, and his family was so happy and loving. Then it seemed like one thing after another: his father lost his job, and then his father ended up in the hospital after a suicide attempt. And then his mother started drinking to cope. And then his mother ended up in the hospital after getting alcohol poisoning. And then his grandmother died._

 

_And then, one day Ten was sent home from school after glowing so brightly that he disrupted his class. His counselors explained to him that he had to keep his powers a secret since very bad people would try to take advantage of him. It was too late, though, because his parents saw their son's powers as an opportunity to pull themselves out of their crippling debt._

 

_When Ten turned eighteen, his parents started looking into arranged marriages. They had planned to set him up with an extremely rich and old man, but Ten knew from just one look that the man had nothing but impure intentions for him._

 

_So Ten took his grandmother's inheritance, booked himself the first flight to NCITY, and he left his family. He spent his first year working, and then he applied to UNCT._

 

_\----_

 

"I'm sorry, Ten." Taeyong couldn't think of anything else to say. He didn't realize his best friend had been through so much in such a short time.

 

Ten finally met Taeyong's eyes, smiling through the pain. "It's okay. I'm never going back to Thailand, and I'm never going to see them again, so I'm fine."

 

"Well, you know what?" Taeyong grasped Ten's hand gently in his own. "We're your family now. We'll never turn on you. I won't, Jaehyun won't, and Johnny definitely won't."

 

Ten's glow grew a little brighter. "You think Taeil was telling the truth when he said Johnny's in love with me?"

 

"I've seen how he looks at you with my own eyes, Tennie. He's so in love with you it's driving literally all of us crazy that you guys aren't officially together. And honestly.. I think you might be in love with him too."

 

Ten withdraws his hand from Taeyong, hugging himself to take up as little space as possible. "I'm… afraid to get close to him."

 

"It's okay to take a chance. It's what life is all about. And if he tries to hurt you, which I know he won't, all of us are going to use our powers to take him out."

 

Ten laughs. "But you don't have powers, hyung."

 

"Yeah I do. I'll use my mom powers. Y'know, I'll give him the whole 'I'm not angry, just disappointed' spiel." Taeyong shoots finger guns at him, winking.

 

"I love you guys. You're the best." Ten gets up, pulling Taeyong into a hug. "Let's go home, I'm starting to get cold."


	6. sakura (yuwin)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the story of how yuta fell in love with sicheng
> 
> featuring: yuta, winwin, doyoung

Yuta steps out of his typography class, stretching his limbs and breathing in the cool evening air. It's the end of March, and the warmth of spring is finally starting to find its way into NCITY.

 

Most graphic design majors he's met during his college career have hated their three-hour studio classes, but Yuta loves it. Not only does he have time to screw around and create whatever he wants, but he also finds the material taught in class extremely interesting. Sure, some days when he leaves at exactly 5:30PM, he's dead tired and can only think about getting home and sleeping, but most days he's having a good old time.

 

Today would be one of those 5:30PM days, and the sun's just started to set. Yuta decides to take the scenic route back to his car before leaving campus, so he walks past the performing arts building, where he can hear students practicing. Instead of being focused on his phone, like the rest of the students he passes, he has his head up, observing everything around him.

 

In his observations, he notices that the university's local flower garden is in full bloom, despite most of the campus's plants not blooming until late April. His curiosity gets the best of him and he finds himself walking towards the area.

 

He finds another boy in the garden, kneeling in front of the flower bed. What really surprises Yuta, though, is how all of the plants seem to be leaning towards him. Even the cherry blossom trees seem to be shading him from the evening sunlight. Upon closer inspection, Yuta sees the boy is weaving a flower crown, but.. there's vines? that seem to be moving on their own?

 

Yuta suddenly realizes he's being kinda creepy just standing there and staring at this boy, so he tries to hide behind one of the cherry blossom trees. Being the graceful designer he is, his hand scrapes against the bark of the tree in his efforts to be sneaky. And, being the dramatic person he is, he has to yell out his pains in the most elegant manner possible.

 

"OW! FUCK!"

 

He's clutching his hand, watching the angry red gash fade away like nothing. Even if he heals immediately, it still hurts like a bitch every time he injures himself.

 

"I know you're here. There's no use hiding anymore."

 

And then Yuta realizes what he's done, because suddenly, the branches of the tree he's hiding behind are pushing him out into the open. Fear rises in him as he realizes that all of the plants are now staring at him, but his mind clears almost immediately as he sets his eyes on the boy in front of him.

 

The view is absolutely breathtaking. In his hands, the boy holds a flower crown, the vines tracing his forearms, and tiny flowers blooming. A single cherry blossom falls from the tree above them, landing directly on top of his head.

 

Despite the potential threat of the plants around him, Yuta can't help but voice what he's feeling. "Oh my gods.. You're beautiful."

 

The boy raises an eyebrow at him, unimpressed. "Who the hell are you?"

 

"I'm Yuta, and I think I just fell in love with you."

 

"Disgusting." It's very obvious that the boy doesn't actually find Yuta disgusting, but he leaves the designer confused anyway as he turns around to leave the garden. A strong blast of wind has the cherry blossoms flying through the air, and once it clears, Yuta realizes the boy is gone.

 

The designer snaps out of his daze and looks around the garden, but the plants are no longer staring in any direction. He snatches the single cherry blossom out of his hair and places it in his sketchbook, making a note to turn it into a bookmark later that week. Unable to focus on anything else, he scampers off to his car, eager to get home and recollect the story to his friends.

 

\---

 

"I'm not kidding. This dude? Beautiful. I think I'm in love."

 

"How could you be in love with someone you just met? You don't even know his name, for gods' sake." Doyoung doesn't look up from his computer, continuing to edit footage for his next assignment.

 

"Doyoung, you don't get it. It's like I was meant to be there at that time. It's like….. It was fate."

 

"It's like……. You're being dramatic."

 

"I am not being dramatic! You know who would appreciate this? Jaehyun. He'd turn it into the best poetry ever." Yuta whines, upside down on the sofa as he rapidly texts the mentioned writer.

 

Doyoung finally takes a break from editing, getting out of his seat and stretching. He walks to the kitchen and the fridge opens without him touching it. A glass hovers out of the cabinet and into his hand, and the pitcher of iced tea hovers out of the fridge, pouring itself into the glass.

 

Yuta squints at him. "What was the point of doing that if you're already standing up? Just pour the drink yourself, lazy ass."

 

Yuta gets a pillow to the face. "OW! WHAT THE HELL?! CAN YOU NOT LEVITATE PILLOWS AT ME?"

 

"Relax, drama queen." Doyoung takes a sip of his tea. "If the plants were really as in tune with him as you say they were, then he probably frequents the garden. Just keep going there until you see him and make friends with him."

 

Yuta pulls the pillow off of his face, clutching it close to his chest. "But isn't that kind of creepy?! What if he thinks I'm weird?!"

 

"He probably already thinks you're weird since you were hiding behind the trees and then immediately professed your love for him."

 

"Is that the right word? Is it professed or confessed?"

 

"Do I look like an English major to you?"

 

"Hey, Siri. Text Jaehyun."

 

\----

 

Yuta spends the rest of the semester going to that garden after his typography class. The boy isn't there every day, but on the days he is, Yuta goes up to him and starts asking questions. Despite the boy seeming completely uninterested in him, he's still entertaining Yuta's questions and compliments.

 

The boy's name is Sicheng. He's in his second year at UNCT, and he's majoring in dance. And he didn't flat out say it, but Yuta's pretty sure Sicheng has secret powers just like him. Especially from the way that all of the flowers stare at them whenever they have a conversation.

 

It takes Yuta until two weeks before the end of the semester to gather enough courage to ask Sicheng on a date. To his surprise, the dancer agrees, and that's how they find themselves at the NCITY botanical garden, among plants of all varieties.

 

Sicheng's introverted silence that Yuta has come to adore has been replaced with ecstatic chattering about all the different plants. Yuta's asking him questions about all the plants, and he's answering with this unbelievably cute enthusiasm. The dancer is skittering around the botanical garden, unable to stay in one place because he's so in love with the plants.

 

If Yuta wasn't sure about falling in love with Sicheng before, then he's more than sure he's falling in love right this second. The dancer has his hand out to the wall of ivy, watching as the vines trace his forearm. Upon closer look, he sees the vines are forming another crown, and he's completely in awe.

 

Sicheng seems to have come back down to earth, because his childlike enthusiasm has been replaced with a much softer persona, closer to his natural personality. Yuta snaps out of his daze to find Sicheng yanking him down by his hoodie strings, and placing the ivy crown on his head.

 

"Thank you for taking me here. I didn't realize NCITY had such a beautiful place hidden away." Sicheng says, flashing a genuine smile at the designer and making his heart stop.

 

"N-no problem," Yuta stammers, wondering where all of his confidence has gone. "Actually, there's.. there's something I wanted to ask you."

 

"What is it?" Sicheng tilts his head to one side and Yuta swears to the twelve legends that he's going to die right here and now.

 

"Look, I.. I know the circumstances of us meeting were kinda weird, and we've only been friends for a couple of months, but.. I like you a lot. Like.. a lot. I think I'm falling in love with you.. And.. I was wondering if you'd give me the honor of being your boyfriend." Yuta squeezes his eyes shut, heart pounding through his chest as he anticipates the inevitable rejection.

 

But that rejection never comes. Instead, he feels Sicheng take his hand, the dancer rubbing reassuring circles into his palm.

 

"Yuta. I've really enjoyed our time together over the last few months.. But summer is literally two weeks away. I'm going to be in China, and you're going to be in Japan. I don't want you to hold yourself back because of me."

 

"I'll wait for you. I'll always wait for you." Yuta stares deep into Sicheng's eyes, his confidence returning with a vengeance. "All I know is that when I'm with you, I'm the happiest I've ever been. I don't want to let go of that."

 

Now Sicheng is blushing, confirming Yuta's suspicions that the dancer was falling for him just as hard.

 

"…We'll make it work. Three months apart is nothing."


	7. moonrise (johnten)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> FEAT. johnten
> 
> *cue everyone in the au yelling IT'S ABOUT TIME YOU ASKED HIM OUT!*

Johnny would be lying if he said he wasn't in love with Ten. Johnny would be really, _really_ lying if he said he wasn't in love with Ten.

 

Like right now, Johnny and Ten were sitting on the fishing dock, eating ice cream. Ten was trying to bite his ice cream cone, without any luck, and swinging his legs over the edge of the dock. The two were watching the full moon rise in the most peaceful silence he had ever experienced.

 

Gods, Johnny was _definitely_ in love with ten.

 

"Ten. You're so cute. You're really so cute. I love it." the look in the photographer's eyes is so genuine when he says it, and Ten has to hide his hands in his sleeves before he can try to cover his face.

 

Johnny notices it this time. After his library adventures, he was quietly opening his eyes and observing everything around him. He didn't want to be suspicious of Ten, but after seeing how Taeil refused to answer his question, he was suspicious of everything.

 

"You're way too nice to me Johnny, stop!!" Ten is pulling his hood over his face so that the photographer can't see his giant smile, and Johnny's just growing even more fond of him by the second.

 

"Can I hug you?" Ten nods, and Johnny wraps his arms around the dancer from behind, resting his chin on his shoulder. "You're worth so much more than you think, Tennie. I hope you know that."

 

 

Ten's still hiding his hands inside of his sleeves while he covers his face, hood still up. Johnny pulls it down and nuzzles his cheek. "I mean it."

 

"Johnny… Is there a reason you're being so affectionate with me right now?" Ten tries his best to hide his anxiousness, but Johnny catches it right away and shushes him.

 

"Can I hold your hand?"

 

Ten is silent for a moment, but he holds out his hand, still covered by the sleeve. Johnny takes it in his own and stares deeply into the dancer's eyes.

 

"Ten, I know this is really cheesy, but you really are the light of my life. Ever since the photoshoot, I've realized how much I enjoy being with you, and I want to continue being with you, but in a different way."

 

Johnny grasps Ten's jacket paws tightly. "Ten, would you please be my boyfriend?"

 

Ten's staring back into Johnny's eyes, unable to control the smile threatening to rip his face in half. His eyes are glistening with tears as he tosses his ice cream aside and attacks Johnny in the tightest hug he's physically capable of.

 

In the heat of the moment, Johnny notices Ten's hands are no longer hiding in his sleeves, and they're _glowing._ They're glowing so brightly that they look like Jaehyun's phone on full brightness in the middle of the night. (Who has their phone on full brightness in the middle of the night?)

 

As soon as they break away, Ten looks down at his hands. Rather than panicking and trying to hide them, he just sighs and looks back to the photographer.

 

"I guess now is a better time for you to find out than ever, isn't it? Well.. Your boyfriend has secret powers. Surprise!"

 

 

Johnny's expression is unreadable as he connects the dots in his mind. "So wait… you really _were_ the glowing figure I saw on the beach that night?!"

 

"Wait! _You_ were the source of the camera shutter sound I heard that night?!" Ten's leaning back until he's laying on the deck, breaking into relieved laughter. "Oh, thank the gods.. I thought I was in real danger that night… But yeah, that was me. Towards the second half of the semester I started to practice at the beach instead of the music building at UNCT because people were starting to talk about me."

 

"You.. I.. Wow.." Johnny's leaning back and laying on the dock right next to him. The photographer  has to take a deep breath before he can even form a sentence. "First.. I can't believe it's true.. The story about the 12 legends.. It's real?!"

 

Ten turns to look at him. "What story? I didn't know there was a story.. I honestly never even questioned why I was born with powers, either."

 

"I.. I don't." Johnny puts his hand up to the sky, amazed at the turn of events. "I can't even believe that _you_ were the glowing figure I saw that night. It's like.. Fate brought us together."

 

Ten laughs and pokes him in the side gently. "Did you know everyone besides you and Taeyong have powers?"

 

With that statement, Johnny shot up and stared at the dancer. "How is that possible?! Why are there so many people in NCITY who have powers?!"

 

Ten just shrugs, closing his eyes and breathing in the ocean air. "I don't know, Johnny. NCITY is just a special place."

 

"… What if there's a piece of the heart of the tree of life here?"

 

"The what of what?"

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the au is starting to approach the end on twitter, i highly encourage you check it out~ the next chapter after this one will be the end of the 'narration' types, but then i'm going to eventually do a few more spin-off oneshots like what i did for jaeyong and yuwin !


	8. the beach (johnten, jaeyong)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> starring: johnny, ten, jaehyun, taeyong, jisung, mark, and taeil
> 
> the truth comes POURING OUT!

"Look, Jaehyunnie. They're finally holding hands. Thank the gods, they're finally together." Taeyong's pointing out the two boys walking towards their campfire, signaling his approval with a round of applause.

 

Taeil, Jaehyun, Mark, and Jisung join him in the applause, causing Ten to glow with embarrassment and hide behind Johnny. The photographer just grins and bows.

 

"Disgusting," Jisung says as he snaps a picture of the couple, uploading it to his Twitter. "I'm going to be sick."

 

Mark shoves a hand into his brother's side, evoking a tiny pig squeal. "Be nice!" he turns his attention to the oldest brother, squinting. "So, hyung, you lied?! You do have a boyfriend!"

 

"Well, I do now." Johnny snorts.

 

The group enjoy their grilled shrimp tacos around the campfire, sharing stories about how their day at the beach went. Apparently, Jisung had stayed under the umbrella with Taeil until sunset, not wanting to get a tan, while Jaehyun and Taeyong had taught Mark how to surf during the daylight.

 

Johnny stops mid-taco and stares into the fire blankly. "…Were all of you hiding your powers from me?"

 

Jaehyun shocks the photographer, who yells and drops his taco, then shoots him a hurt look. "HOW COULD YOU?! THAT WAS THE BEST TACO I EVER HAD!"

 

"Relax. Here's another one." Jaehyun hands him another shrimp taco. "Literally none of us have hid our powers from you, you just happen to be as dense as a rock."

 

"No, screw you. I'm gonna eat my sandy half taco." Johnny pouts. "I think my trip to the library proved I'm not as 'dense as a rock' like you think I am.. I mean, I caught on to Ten's power's pretty quickly."

 

Ten looks at his boyfriend incredulously. "You did? When did you notice them?"

 

"After I asked you out."

 

The look on Ten's face is priceless. Jaehyun shakes his head, and Taeyong breaks into a laugh.

 

"Really? You didn't see him glowing at the recital? Or during your first date?" the designer asks in between fits of laughter.

 

"… Wait, is that why you were wearing gloves?"

 

"Oh my gods Johnny, just shush. Stop proving them right." Ten's giggling and leaning on his shoulder, covering his face in second-hand embarrassment.

 

"But wait… I still have one question left. Taeil hyung."

 

Taeil looks up from his taco, eerily silent with his smile.

 

"Can you control the moon?"

 

Suddenly, all eyes are on Taeil, as none of the group had known that the architect also had powers. Taeil looks at the full moon and smiles.

 

"No Johnathan, I can't control the moon. No one can do that, it would have disastrous effects on the planet." Taeil laughs as if that was obvious. "However, I can sense changes in the tides and the overall energy of the world. And I can harness the energy from the full moon to use it however I want."

 

Mark's eyes are wide with awe. "Taeil hyung, that's so cool! You could literally kick ass like the Avengers if you wanted to, couldn't you?!"

 

Taeil shrugs. "Honestly, I've only ever used the full moon's energy to stay up late. and finish assignments." With that, the group bursts into laughter.

 

"So wait.. Which of the twelve legends could communicate with the moon?" Jaehyun asks, earning a look of confusion from Ten.

 

"Can someone please explain this story about the 'twelve legends' and the 'tree of life' please? Johnny mentioned it to me earlier and I still don't understand." The dancer asks.

 

Taeil takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. "Allow me to enlighten you."

 

Mark and Jisung immediately plant themselves in front of Taeil, eyes shining with excitement. Mark gestures for Ten to join them, patting the sand next to him excitedly. The dancer looks over to Johnny and is met with a reassuring nod, and the two join the brothers in front of Taeil. Jaehyun and Taeyong press close to each other from their spot next to the architect, eager to hear the story.

 

When Taeil opens his eyes again, they're glowing with the brightness of the full moon. As soon as he starts telling the story, Johnny feels his mind being taken over as vivid images come to life.

 

"The creation of the universe began with the tree of life. Around one million years ago, the only planet that existed was EXO Planet, which housed the tree of life. A strong star wind blew the seeds of the tree all across the universe, and from those seeds grew the planets we have come to learn about, and thousands more. 

 

The tree of life was protected by twelve legends - whose special powers each protected a certain aspect of the heart of the tree of life. 

 

Suho, the leader of the six elemental forces, was the heart's source of water, and with his powers he helped the tree grow. His members - Sehun, Chanyeol, Xiumin, Chen, and Baekhyun, maintained the weather on EXO Planet to protect the tree of life from natural disasters.

 

Kris, the leader of the six manipulation forces, was in charge of EXO Planet's defense, and he would fly around the capital every day to survey the state of their community. His members - Kai, Luhan, Tao, Lay, and D.O. were also in charge of the planet's defense, able to protect from any evil that threatened the heart.

 

One day, an eye of red force developed somewhere in the universe, stopping at nothing to covet the heart of the tree of life. They destroyed planet after planet, seeking out the heart, leaving nothing but destruction in their wake.

 

The twelve legends, sensing the red force's strength growing to unstoppable levels, decided to split the heart of the tree of life into twelve before the red force reached EXO Planet. 

 

By the time the red force reached EXO Planet, the tree of life was nothing more than a hollow husk of what it had once been. Furious that there was no way for them to trace the heart, they blew the planet to pieces. 

 

Legend has it that the twelve pieces of the heart found their way to our planet, and are circulating through the world as we speak. The twelve forces integrated into our societies, and while they were not mortal, their powers have been reborn through generations in the form of The 7th Sense."

 

Taeil closes his eyes again, and when he returns they're no longer glowing. He's smiling brightly at the group, unaware of the fact that the full moon has illuminated him for the duration of the story. There's six pairs of wide eyes staring back at him, and a dead silence hangs in the air.

 

"I FUCKING KNEW IT! YOU CAN CONTROL THE MOON!" Johnny jumps up fro his spot in the sand and he's pointing directly at Taeil's face. The architect slaps the finger out of his face.

 

"That wasn't me controlling the moon, you moron!" Taeil stands up with the photographer, trying his best to ignore the obvious height difference. "That was me harnessing the power of the full moon to give you guys a full experience!"

 

Ten is blinking rapidly, trying to process all the information he just heard. "So all of that.. All of that was real? That really happened?"

 

Jisung continues to try and snap Mark out of his daze, growing frustrated enough that he dumps a bottle of water on his brother's head. Mark shakes his head violently and tackles Jisung in irritation.

 

"You guys know what this means, though, right?" Johnny's looking at all of his friends, who still can't process everything they just learned. "There's definitely a piece of the heart in NCITY."

 

Jaehyun's eyes narrow. "And let me guess… You want to find it?"

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for tuning in to this month-long project. i can't believe it's over! 
> 
> well.. it's not REALLY over, because i still have spin-off oneshots that will get written eventually, but there's still a lot more planned for the au. this arc .. the "johnten fall in love pls" arc, is complete! 
> 
> come find me on twitter if you're interested in more content. @_seojohnny ~ 
> 
> until next time!  
> xo pink


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